Teacher at Oakland's Castlemont High identified as innocent bystander killed after CHP chase
What we know
An Oakland Unified School District board member confirmed the man killed was a teacher at the school.
In a letter obtained by KTVU, Castlemont High's principal, Joseph Blasher, addresses the community, sharing the tragic news. In part, the letter reads, "Dr. Marvin Boomer tragically passed away last night. Dr. Boomer was a beloved and vital member of the Castlemont family, having served as a math teacher and pathway coach for the past eight years. His warmth, wisdom, and joyful spirit left a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues."
Blasher goes on to acknowledge that Thursday was the last day of school for students and Friday is graduation, but despite their commitment to focusing on the students, there is a profound sense of loss. "Dr. Boomer's absence will impact all of us," the letter reads.
The principal has set aside Monday, June 2, to offer space for the community to grieve and honor Dr. Boomer. Blasher said details are forthcoming and Boomer's family will be consulted on those plans.
"Dr. Boomer was more than a teacher – he was a mentor, a friend, and a source of strength and inspiration in our halls," Blasher's letter reads. "His legacy will live on in us and in the countless lives he helped shape long after this tragedy."
A second version of the letter obtained includes information on emotional support available for the Oakland Unified School District community.
Meanwhile, Anti Police-Terror Project, a grassroots group that is critical of law enforcement, posted information for a candlelight vigil in Boomer's honor. That vigil will be held on Friday at 6 p.m. at 12th Avenue and East 21st Street in Oakland.
The flyer for the event reads, "An educator, artist, and entrepreneur killed last night by a reckless CHP pursuit." APTP's post on social media said "Bring candles. Community will be speaking out."
The backstory
We have reported that an innocent bystander pedestrian was killed and at least two others were injured following the CHP pursuit in Oakland on Wednesday.
At around 7:45 p.m., CHP was pursuing a car at East 21st Street and Park Boulevard. But the suspect, driving a stolen Infiniti G35, crashed into a woman driving a minivan. That's when CHP called off the chase. However, the suspected stolen car was monitored from above by a CHP plane.
Police said the car continued to drive recklessly and crashed at East 21st Street and 12th Avenue without any officers behind him. However, in that crash, a man and a woman, both in their 40s, were struck on the sidewalk by the suspect vehicle.
An 18-year-old suspect driver, Eric Hernandez Garcia, was arrested by CHP officers who chased him down.
While the woman who was struck was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive, the man, later identified by school officials as Boomer, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Was it worth it to catch that car thief? I don't think so. I think that's just horrible," said Michael Eastwood, who lives at the corner where the man died. He said he's concerned Gov. Gavin Newsom wants Oakland police to relax their pursuit policies so that officers can chase under more circumstances.
"Sounds like they want Oakland to do the same thing their CHP officers did last night that resulted in the death of this man," Eastwood said.
The California Highway Patrol has looser rules on chasing suspects than Oakland police do.
KTVU spoke to a man who said his wife and a friend were in the minivan that was struck in the first crash.
William Duarte said his wife suffered injuries to her leg and neck, and she told him that she heard sirens at the time, indicating the pursuit was active. He said he was frustrated his wife was hurt and that an innocent person had died.
Many in law enforcement, including the governor, say officers need as many tools as they can to go after people who commit crimes.
Recently, the Oakland police chief asked the police commission to loosen one particular aspect of city chase rules, where an officer would no longer have to request permission from a supervisor to drive faster than 50 mph.
Earlier this month, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Oakland police can be held responsible when bystanders are injured, or killed, during reckless pursuits.
Oakland City Councilmember Charlene Wang said the city is still working to refine its pursuit policy.
"We have to be thoughtful, and that's probably why we did have a police chase policy in part, because there have been innocent bystanders that have been killed," Wang said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Video shows dramatic crash on L.A. freeway as speeding motorists smash into cars
Two speeding motorists crashed dramatically on the northbound lanes of the 110 Freeway early Sunday morning, sending vehicles flying across the freeway. The crash took place around 2:30 a.m. near Florence Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency said the incident was being investigated as a hit and run. The CHP said no arrests were made, and it was unclear how many vehicles were involved. In dramatic video from news gathering organization two cars weave wildly amid traffic, apparently racing each other and dangerously cutting off other cars headed north. Following the crash, nobody was transported from the scene to a hospital, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Street racing and takeovers — when drivers take over roads and do dangerous car stunts, usually amid crowds of onlookers — peaked in 2020 with 912 reported incidents in Los Angeles. In 2019, there were 319 incidents, and in 2023, there were 482, police said at a public meeting last year. A woman was killed by street racers in February in Los Angeles as she walked near a crosswalk on Normandie Avenue at 66th Street. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Tesla driver dies in fiery crash in Monterey County
The driver of a Tesla sedan was killed early Monday when the car crashed into a tree in Monterey County and caught fire, authorities said. The California Highway Patrol said in a press release that the white Tesla was heading south on River Road north of Chualar River Road south of Salinas at about 1:41 a.m. when it veered left and off the roadway for an unknown reason. The car crashed into a tree and caught fire; the driver was pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said. It was not known if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, or if the vehicle was in full self-driving mode, the CHP said. The Monterey County Coroner's Office was withholding the driver's identity until the person's family was notified. Anyone with additional information about the incident was asked to call the CHP Monterey Area office at (831) 770-8000.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Fiery street racing crash on 110 Freeway in South L.A. caught on video
Two suspected street racers caused a fiery crash on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles early Sunday morning, sending four vehicles careening across all northbound lanes. The chaos — caught on dramatic video — unfolded around 2:30 a.m. near Florence Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP officials said the incident involved two separate collisions and is being investigated as a hit-and-run. Footage obtained by KTLA shows a white and a black sedan weaving dangerously between vehicles, appearing to race while recklessly cutting off other drivers. At the start of the video, the white car leads, with the black car close behind. As the white car swerves around an uninvolved driver, the black car attempts to follow — but fails destructively. The black sedan then cuts across three lanes and, instead of squeezing in between and beyond the two cars on either side, slams into the bystander on the right, triggering a violent chain reaction. The first car struck spins out, sending sparks flying across the freeway before slamming into a guardrail. On its way, it hits another car, which then shoots down the Gage Avenue exit at high speed. The force of the initial impact also sends the suspect vehicle ricocheting into another car on its left. That vehicle is pushed across five lanes before it appears to regain control near the center median. CHP and Los Angeles Fire Department crews arrived shortly after, shutting down all northbound lanes to assess damage and check for injuries. LAFD confirmed no one was transported from the scene. It remains unclear whether any arrests were made, but news stringer service reports that the black sedan and three other badly damaged vehicles were towed from the scene. The white sedan believed to be involved reportedly fled without stopping. Luis Zuniga contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
